If in Santa Barbara and have about two hours or so, the Santa Barbara County Court House is worth a visit if you enjoy old architecture, and historic buildings. This one was built in 1929 and is still being used today as the actual Court House. Amazing views of the entire Santa Barbara from the watch tower (about 6 floors up) and lush gardens and lawn are on the grounds. They also have a small gift shop, and you can relax or picnic on the lawn area or grounds.

Beautiful style of architecture and interiors at this old yet functioning court house. The main court house has fantastic murals on all walls. And there are great 360 degree views from the clocktower. I would have appreciated a bit more history to understand the context. Not a huge amount to see and can be done in 30-45 mins.

This working courthouse is open to the public with access through a security checkpoint. It's well worth touring this fantastic example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. Take some time to view the masonry, tile work, heavy timber construction and murals as you walk to the bell tower platform. While the historical narrative described in the murals is, at best, outdated, they do display a palpable sense of civic pride.

We met our friends here for the 2 PM free docent tour (1 hr) of the courthouse and the grounds. Our docent (sorry I forgot his name) was very informative, gave us the interesting history of the courthouse and the adjacent jail. The Santa Barbara Spanish style architecture is proudly displayed here. One hour passed by so quickly. The same docent tour is given at 10 AM during the week.

We visited the courthouse for the 10.30am tour. Our guide was Mary who was an ex professor. She was extremly engaging and knowledgeable. We throughly enjoyed the free tour. The architecture was stunning inside and out. I highly recommend the tour.